I’m happy to say that these days the film-going public are aware of a number of high quality films coming out of Romania, no doubt helped by the numerous awards heaped upon them. These films seem to divide Romanians, though. Some of the Romanians I’ve spoken to seem to think that these new films are nothing special, that the themes they explore are ordinary, the stories commonplace. The same people are not happy with the way Romania is being portrayed. Why not show the beauty of the country? Why not show the villas and the riches and the cultural heritage? Why is everything shot in a dingy flat in Bucharest? (more…)